Page 94 of Love You
* * *
Win sent TJ a quick text. His brother wasn’t going to be happy about the way he’d left things with Madison. Win had unceremoniously dumped her at the hotel and told her he had to go. If she was a decent human being she’d understand; Win had no reason to think she wasn’t. He just hoped she wouldn’t think GA was unreliable and choose Mountain Adventure instead. But really, in the scheme of things, getting the account wasn’t all that important anymore. Not while Hilde was lying at death’s door.
A reply from TJ came in and Win glanced at it.
Keep us apprised and tell Darcy we’re thinking about her. I’ll handle Madison.
His whole family would rally around Darcy when the time was right. He watched the clock, then got on his phone and searchedtranscatheter aortic valve replacement. Reading was never easy for him, especially something as complicated as medical terminology. But he forced himself to study the pros and cons. Thirty minutes later, Darcy returned to the waiting room looking more fragile than when she had left. He immediately rose and pulled her into his arms. There hadn’t been a code blue or whatever they announced over the loudspeaker when a patient was in trouble.
“Anything new?”
“She’s still unresponsive, though she opened her eyes for a few seconds. I haven’t heard from my dad and the social worker, Dr. Gerard, and the duty nurse say I have to make a decision.”
“What are you going to do?”
She braced herself against his shoulders and let out a breath. “You really think I should risk the transport?”
If Darcy made the choice and Hilde didn’t pull through she’d never forgive herself. Let it fall on him, he’d take the hit because he wanted to be that man for her. Her man.
“Yeah, that’s the way I would go.” From everything he’d read online the procedure was revolutionary. The death risk of the procedure was only in the three-percent range and they didn’t even have to remove the old valve, they could just push it aside with the new one. To him it seemed like a no-brainer, except for the part of getting her to the hospital and getting her stable enough to perform the replacement. “I think it’s what Hilde would want if she could tell us.”
She sagged into him, using his weight to hold her up. “I should tell the doctor that’s my decision but I . . . can’t. I can’t even move.”
“I’ll do it for you if that’s what you want.”
“You’re sure about this?” she asked.
He’d never seen her so irresolute. She might be bashful and self-deprecating, even insecure, but she was usually the biggest know-it-all on the face of the earth.
“No, honey, I’m not sure. No one is, not even the doctors. We can only follow our guts and mine tells me this is the best option.”
“Okay.” For better or worse, she seemed to be resigned. “Will you come with me to tell them?”
“You’ve got it.” He put his hand at the small of her back and nudged her forward. They’d do this together.
* * *
Four hours later, Win sat in the waiting room at Dignity Health Hospital in Sacramento. He made the two-hour drive in ninety minutes, which was saying something for a Sunday when half of Northern California was driving home from the mountains. Darcy had come on the flight with Hilde, who was barely hanging on and hooked up to so many breathing apparatuses that you could hardly recognize her.
If, by the grace of God, she stabilized, Dignity’s medical team would perform the procedure. Otherwise, they were afraid she’d stroke out on the table. Darcy had finally reached her parents and they were on their way.
For now, it was a waiting game.
“All they had were these. Sorry.” Darcy handed him some kind of a premade juice smoothie, which was fine by him, and snagged a seat. “Thanks for sitting watch. I needed a walk to clear my head.”
Win took her by the hand and gazed into her eyes. “I’m here for you.”
He’d never said that to a woman before and the knowledge socked him in the gut like a sledgehammer. Yet, she’d told him she was done. Done with him, done with what they could be. As far as he was concerned they hadn’t even gotten started.
“You don’t have to stay with me,” she said. “My parents are coming and I know you have better things to do.”
“Better things to do?” He cocked his brows. “Is it that difficult for you to understand that I want to be here with you?”That I want you to need me?That I need you?
Her eyes held him as if she were trying to grasp that he actually wanted to do something for her without expecting anything in return. He wasn’t fucking Lewis. Or Geneva. He didn’t want her to organize his files, suck in her stomach, or jump through crazy hoops to make him happy. He just wanted her to be. Just be.
She swallowed hard. Her eyes filled and she rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m not really good at taking help.”
“Ya think?”
